The best metroidvanias, according to hackers
3 metroidvanias were recommended on Hacker News between November 2025 and November 2026. We rank them by how many separate people recommend each one, and 2 earn the Hacker Approved badge.
Top picks
The two most recommended metroidvanias with the badge. Each figure is one person. RecommendsCriticizes One comment
Popular, widely praised indie hit
Praised for tough, rewarding boss fights and polished 2D graphics; one report says it clashes with some plugged-in throttle and stick setups.
Respected indie game success
Praised for strong mechanics, atmosphere and rich interactions, and for reshaping metroidvanias. Critics say the backstory is messy and the genre is narrow.
All 3 metroidvanias, ranked
Select a column heading to sort. Approval share is recommenders out of everyone who gave an opinion; the tick on each bar marks the 2 to 1 line the badge needs. Months counts the months, out of 13, in which someone recommended it.
| Rank | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tied 1 | Hollow Knight: Silksong | 16 | 1 | 94% | 10 | — | Approved |
| Tied 1 | Hollow Knight | 16 | 5 | 76% | 8 | — | Approved |
| 3 | Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown | 5 | 2 | 71% | 3 | — | — |
How we rank
Rank is the number of separate people who recommend a product in a Hacker News comment over the past year. Someone who praises the same metroidvania in five threads counts once.
The badge goes to metroidvanias that at least 10 people recommend, with recommenders outnumbering critics at least 2 to 1, recommended in at least 4 of the 13 months.
Rankings are never for sale. We may earn a commission when you buy through our links. It never changes the order.